21/II.

Comrade Gorbunov!

Both summaries are drawn up poorly296. They don't know how to separate technique from economics, conclusions from conditions.

* See previous document. Ed.

** See Works, 5th ed., vol. 44, p. 368. Ed.

*** See present volume, documents 268, 305, 306. Ed.

I propose to you:

1) achieve it so that both the Supreme Council of the National Economy and Gosplan separately provide within a short timeframe their conclusions, signed by responsible persons;

2) undertake reconnaissance measures immediately so that we can obtain from each member of Mikhailov's commission individually and with the least possibility of them colluding with one another (your job is to arrange this cleverly: get in touch with everyone, find out at what hours each is free, "pick them up" by motorcycle, etc.) written and signed opinions;

3) the opinion should follow the following program (explanations and notes separately)

1. Possible extraction at ... million rubles gold.
   a) now
   b) with additional expenditure of ... million rubles gold over a period of ... years
(separately for Kyshtym, Ridder, Ekibastuz, Tanalyk).

2. Can we manage without a concessionaire (probably) or not? if not, why?
   a) through lack of capital?
   b) through impossibility of purchasing and bringing first-class equipment?
   c) through impossibility of hiring first-class engineers?
   d) through impossibility of purchasing and bringing food? clothing? workers?
   or through other (what?) reasons?

3. Conclusion: a) agree to Urquhart's conditions?
   b) modify them? how?
   c) reject them entirely?

First manage (quickly) to catch all members of the commission separately and obtain from them written answers to these questions.

Then tell me the results and afterward we'll press the Supreme Council of the National Economy and Gosplan297.

Lenin

Written 21 February 1922

First published in 1945

in Lenin Collection XXXV

Printed from the manuscript